§4021. School eligibility

            A. To be eligible to participate in the program, a nonpublic school shall meet all of the following criteria:

            (1) Be approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education pursuant to R.S. 17:11.

            (2) Comply with the criteria set forth in Brumfield, et al. v. Dodd, et al, 425 F. Supp. 528.

            (3)(a) Be accredited or designated as a provisionally accredited approved school. For purposes of this Paragraph:

            (i) "Provisionally accredited approved school" means a school that is working toward meeting accreditation requirements and has met all other criteria for approval by the state board.

            (ii) Accrediting entities shall be the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation organizations, the Cognia accreditation organizations, the National Association of Independent Schools accreditation organizations, the Louisiana Montessori Association, and the diocese or archdiocese in which the school is located.

            (b) A provisionally accredited approved school shall be removed from the program if it does not receive accreditation within four years.

            B. To be eligible to participate in the program, a public school shall have received a letter grade of "A" or "B", or any variation thereof, for the most recent school year pursuant to the school and district accountability system.

            C. Scholarship recipients enrolled in a participating school that fails to meet the eligibility criteria established in this Section may transfer to another participating school for the succeeding school year without loss of eligibility, and such recipients shall be given preference for enrollment at other participating schools.

            D. A participating school that fails for three consecutive years to meet minimum standards for academic performance as determined by the accountability system provided for in state board policy shall be ineligible to participate in the program.

            Acts 2008, No. 509, §1, eff. June 25, 2008; Acts 2012, No. 2, §1; Acts 2021, No. 196, §1.